Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

In Idaho, we can all agree: education matters.

All of our kids need a quality education so they have options. Our local schools need a competitive framework that will attract new businesses and provide a skilled workforce. Part of staying competitive means adopting measurable standards that hold people accountable.

Today, Idaho's Content Standards provide a starting point for every Idaho school district to adopt its own curriculum. Districts also have the option to establish more rigorous standards. In other words, local districts, professional educators, and engaged parents have a voice in how these standards are taught.

That's how it should be.

But there's always room for improvement.

I believe some of these improvements need to include:

Increasing student access to vocational training and apprenticeships in junior high and high school
Addressing concerns about student data collection and protecting student privacy
Making sure that we treat teachers with the respect their profession deserves
Adopting growth-based testing that rewards progress over a school year
Revisiting the role of testing in general and avoiding standards that lead to "teaching to the test"

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